Editor's Note: This post is a preview of the theme of the booth the Center for the Study of Human Health will be hosting at the Atlanta Science Festival, which is being held at Centennial Olympic Park March 19 - 26, 2016. This is the third year the CSHH has participated in the wonderful event! See below for a list of this year's student booth members.

By: Amanda Freeman and the CSHH ASF Team

Water is essential for life; without it, many biological functions cannot occur. Water accounts for approximately 60% of the body weight of a healthy adult and approximately 70% of the body weight of an infant. The amount of water may be even greater in specific organs including the muscles (75%) and the brain (80%).[1] Water in the human body does everything from providing structural firmness in cells[2] to working as a cooling agent to control body temperature.[3] Highly sensitive sensors maintain the delicate balance of water inside the cell and water outside of the cells or in our blood. If our body doesn’t have enough water the sensation of thirst increases our fluid intake, while excess water is eliminated in urine.[4]

Electrolytes are important chemical minerals in our bodily fluid, and include sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Each electrolyte has either a positive or negative charge and all are crucial for maintaining the water balance in the body, the pH level of the blood, as well as muscle and brain cell function. Our bodies cannot make electrolytes and we are dependent upon the foods we eat and the beverages we drink to provide them. It is important that we keep our electrolytes in balance; people lose electrolytes through sweat and must replace them through electrolyte-containing fluids or foods.

Dehydration disrupts the balance of fluids and electrolytes and it is important to replace fluid loss throughout the day because by just going about daily activities results in the body losing about two to two and a half cups of water.[5] As we age, the thirst drive decreases and older individuals often don’t drink enough to replace the amount of fluid lost each day.[6] Infants and children require a proportionally greater volume of water per day to maintain their fluid balance. This is because they have a higher content of water in their bodies and increased amount of surface area (skin), where water evaporates, compared to their body mass require proportionally greater volumes of water than adults to maintain their fluid equilibrium and are more susceptible to volume depletion.

A slight loss in water can have a large impact on exercise performance, mental attentiveness, and overall well-being. Initially, dehydration that results in a loss of ~2% of body weight impairs cognitive abilities (including decreased short-term memory and increased reaction time) and increased fatigue.[7] After three and a half hours of continuous dehydration, memory function is unaffected but individuals often report feeling increasingly tired.[7]

There are numerous drinks available that contain electrolytes, but the big question is often which drink will rehydrate other negative outcomes. Stop by our booth at the Atlanta Science Festival and learn more about how electrolytes maintain the water balance in our body. You can also participate in our hands-on demonstration of the electrolyte levels of different beverages!